Septic Questions From Fort Bend, Brazoria and the Gulf Coast

No sewer charge on your water bill usually means a tank. Most homes in Sugar Land, Stafford, Missouri City, Katy and Pearland are on city or district service, with septic at the edges. Tanks are common around Needville, Rosharon, Manvel, Alvin, Santa Fe and rural Wharton and Matagorda. See how to tell if your home is on septic.

We cover Fort Bend, Brazoria, Galveston, Wharton and Matagorda counties, plus Orchard Ridge and Bluebonnet Acres on Houston's south side and edge towns in Colorado, Austin and Waller counties. If your property sits near a county line or you aren't sure it counts, send us the address and we'll confirm we come out. Here's every town we cover.

Yes, both. We pump conventional tanks and aerobic units alike. Tell us which kind you have when you book, or that you aren't sure, and the crew comes ready for either. Read about pumping aerobic and conventional tanks.

It depends on the tank and how wet the yard is, so tell us about the ground when you call and we'll advise whether to pump now or wait for it to drain. After a long rain, yards here can stay soaked for a while, and we plan around that. More on pumping in wet ground.

A conventional tank usually needs pumping every three to five years, depending on tank size and household. An aerobic tank is pumped when it's due, not on a set calendar, and the pump-out is a separate visit from the contract checks. If nobody knows the last date, a pump-out now gives you a starting point, and we'll tell you how the tank looked.

Yes. Aerobic systems need a contract with a licensed provider for at least the first two years, and state rules call for a check at least every four months. Fort Bend County also charges a yearly fee on renewals. The county requires the contract to stay current. On an Advantage Plan we carry the contract, do the checks and submit the correct paperwork to the right office. Read the aerobic contract rule.

Plan visits cover the required inspections, not pumping. Our Premier Full Coverage plan includes one pump-out (up to 1,200 gallons) after the first year. On the other plans, a pump-out is a separate visit, booked when your tank needs one. See what a maintenance visit covers.

Because most ground here won't take a standard drainfield. Dense Gulf Coast clay, with water half a foot to two feet down for weeks or months a year, rules one out. That's why, in 2024, 94 to 100% of new systems in Fort Bend, Brazoria and the counties around them used drip or spray. Read why systems here are designed this way.

Sewage coming up inside the house, sewage surfacing in the yard, or the control panel alarm going off while drains back up. If you see any of those, stop running water and call us, and we'll talk you through what to do next. Here's what counts as an emergency.

Yes. We pump, inspect, repair and install systems for offices, churches, RV parks and shops, and we can carry an aerobic unit's maintenance contract. Call us for a free quote, and tell us how the building is used and what the system is doing. See septic services for businesses.

It depends on the county and the city limits. Fort Bend County permits unincorporated land and, by agreement, Beasley, Fairchilds, Fulshear, Simonton, Weston Lakes and Pleak. In Brazoria County, Manvel, Brookside Village and Surfside Beach issue their own; the county permits the rest. The Galveston County Health District covers all of Galveston County. Inside other cities, the state's Houston regional office (TCEQ) does. County guides: Fort Bend, Brazoria, Galveston, Wharton, Matagorda.

It applies in Brazoria County, to one home on one tract of 10 or more acres. In Fort Bend it doesn't apply, and in Wharton and Matagorda every system needs a permit, whatever the acreage. In Galveston or Harris, ask us and we'll check it for your property. Read Fort Bend's rule or Brazoria's exemption.

No. A routine pump-out doesn't need a septic permit. Permits come into play when a system is built, repaired or changed, not when the tank is emptied. Book the pump-out online or call, and we'll find the lids and handle it from there, with nothing for you to file.

In Fort Bend County, yes. The county doesn't grandfather older systems, so a repair or change needs a new design and permit. We'll get your system designed and permitted. The permit is usually included in the price of the job, and we make sure your permits get submitted correctly. Elsewhere it depends on the job, so tell us what's wrong. More on repair permits in Fort Bend.

Call the office that permits septic where the system sits: the county office on unincorporated land, the Galveston County Health District anywhere in Galveston County, or the state's Houston regional office (TCEQ) inside a city without its own program. TCEQ takes complaints at r12comp@tceq.texas.gov. If the system is yours, call us, and we'll find the cause and fix it.

Yes, for buyers and sellers. Real-estate inspections start at $400. We find the tank, open it and look over the whole system, then explain what we saw in plain words so you can decide what comes next. Call with the address, and we'll set it up. Read about septic inspections for a home sale.

Yes, once the water drops. Don't pump a flooded tank until the ground drains, and in a floodplain it's worth checking that the tank is still anchored and the risers sealed. Until then, use as little water as you can, and call us when you're ready to book the check. Read about inspections after a flood.

Pump-outs are $595 for tanks up to 1,000 gallons, aerobic or conventional. Bigger tanks are priced on the phone. The price covers finding the lids, pumping the tank and telling you how it looked; anything extra we find is quoted before we do it. Call or book online to set a time. Here's what a pump-out includes.

It depends on the home, the lot and the design the ground calls for, so there's no single figure. Installation estimates are free: we look at the property and tell you what the system will need before you commit to anything. Call with the address to set one up. Read what a new system includes.

Plans start at $23 a month. Every plan covers the required inspections on an aerobic system, and we keep track of the visit dates so you don't have to. Call us, and we'll help you pick the plan that fits your system. See our home maintenance plans.